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Before the 1997 war, the Congolese system of government was similar to that of the French. However, after taking power, Sassou suspended the constitution approved in 1992 upon which this system was based. The 2002 constitution provides for a 7-year presidential term. There is a parliament of two houses, whose members serve for 5 years. Principal Government...
The Congo's economy is based primarily on its petroleum sector, which is by far the country's major revenue earner. The Congolese oil sector is dominated by the French oil company TotalFinaElf. In second position is the Italian oil firm Agip. ChevronTexaco (in partnership with TotalFinaElf) is the primary American oil company active in petroleum exploration...
The Congo Republic now occupies territory that was once ruled by the Loango, Bakongo, and Teke Kingdoms. After the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century, the coastal kingdoms profited more from the slave trade than did the peoples of the interior, for whom the trade created great turmoil. After the area came under French protection in the 19th...
First inhabited by pygmies, Congo was later settled by Bantu groups that also occupied parts of present-day Angola, Gabon, and Zaire, forming the basis for ethnic affinities and rivalries among those states. Several Bantu kingdoms--notably those of the Kongo, the Loango, and the Teke--built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. The first European...
Location: Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 15 00 E Map references: Africa Area: total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km Area
Congo's sparse population is concentrated in the southwestern portion of the country, leaving the vast areas of tropical jungle in the north virtually uninhabited. Thus, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa, with 85% of its total population living in a few urban areas; namely, in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or one of the small cities...
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